The first thing Aaliyah heard was a beeping. Soft. Steady. Too steady.
Then came the cold.
The hospital room was dim, curtains closed, the air-conditioning humming low. She blinked slowly, her head heavy, her body even heavier.
A nurse noticed.
"She's awake," the woman whispered, stepping closer.
Aaliyah tried to sit up, but pain shot through her lower stomach.
"Easy," the nurse warned gently. "You fainted from stress. And you're pregnant—you have to be very careful."
Pregnant.
The reminder hit her like a second collapse.
Her hands moved to her belly instinctively. The fear was immediate.
"The baby?" Her voice cracked. "Is my baby okay?"
The nurse gave her a sympathetic look.
"For now, yes. But the doctor will talk to you… stress like this is dangerous at your stage."
Aaliyah nodded weakly, shame burning in her chest. She knew exactly what had pushed her to the edge—media pressure, Ethan's sudden return, Damiano's anger, the fight, the fear.
Everything.
And now her child was paying the price.
Outside the room…
Damiano sat hunched over in a plastic chair, elbows on his knees, hair in his face.
He looked like a man being dragged underwater.
"This is my fault," he muttered over and over. "I pushed her. I made everything worse."
Victoria stood beside him, arms crossed—not angry, but grounded.
"Damiano, blaming yourself won't help her. She needs you calm."
He shook his head.
"I yelled at her, Vic. I— I let the whole thing explode. And Ethan—"
The name was enough to snap the fragile calm.
Ethan stood at the end of the hall, leaning against the wall like he belonged there.
"You shouldn't even be here," Damiano growled, standing up.
Ethan didn't move.
"I came because she needed someone who wasn't too busy screaming."
The hallway went silent.
Then—
Damiano charged him.
Thomas and Victoria grabbed his arms instantly, pulling him back as Ethan braced himself.
"Come on, man," Ethan said quietly. "Hit me if it makes you feel better. But she's in a damn hospital bed right now because both of you stressed her out."
Damiano's chest heaved, eyes full of rage, guilt, fear—everything mixing into something dangerous.
Victoria stepped between them, voice sharp.
"Stop it. Both of you. She cannot handle more chaos. You're acting like children."
Damiano finally stopped resisting, but the fire didn't leave his eyes.
Not even close.
Across the waiting area…
Estrella sat curled in the corner of the sofa, knees pulled up, staring at the floor.
Her hands were shaking. Thomas sat next to her—not touching her, but close enough to make sure she wasn't alone.
"What if she… what if something happened because of me?" Estrella whispered.
Thomas turned to her, soft but steady.
"Hey. No. None of this is your fault."
But Estrella wasn't listening.
Because she'd heard something.
Something she wasn't supposed to.
Two nurses earlier… whispering near the vending machine.
"…the mother had complications during her first birth…"
"…didn't think she'd have another child after that trauma…"
"…that girl—Estrella? She doesn't know…"
Her breathing had become shallow.
Her vision blurry.
Thomas noticed immediately.
"Estrella? Look at me."
Her voice trembled violently.
"Thomas… what happened when I was born?"
He froze.
Because he didn't know.
And that terrified him too.
Inside the hospital room…
Aaliyah stared at the rain sliding down the windowpane.
The doctor's warning echoed fresh in her mind:
"You need to avoid emotional distress. Or you could lose the baby."
Tears spilled slowly.
She couldn't keep living in secrets.
Not with Estrella.
Not with Damiano.
Not with this new baby.
A knock sounded, soft but hesitant.
Aaliyah swallowed hard.
"Come in."
It wasn't Damiano.
It wasn't Victoria.
It wasn't Thomas.
It was Estrella.
Her eyes were red, her face pale, her hands trembling.
"Mom…"
Her voice was so small.
So cracked.
"Aaliyah… I need you to tell me the truth."
Aaliyah froze.
"What truth?"
Estrella clenched her fists, tears threatening again.
"When I was born… something happened, didn't it? Something you never told me."
Aaliyah's breath caught.
The room felt colder.
Smaller.
Dangerous.
"Estrella…" she whispered.
"I think you deserve to know everything."
Estrella nodded, stepping closer.
"Then tell me."
But before Aaliyah could speak—
Before any truth could come out—
The door opened abruptly.
The nurse rushed in, breathless.
"Where is she? Where is Estrella?"
Both turned, confused.
The nurse's face went white.
"She… she's not supposed to be out of her room. Your daughter—she was having heart palpitations and panic symptoms earlier. We need to check her immediately!"
Aaliyah's heart dropped.
"Estrella," she whispered, reaching out—
But Estrella stepped back.
Confused.
Terrified.
And then—
She ran.
Ran out of the room.
Ran past the nurse.
Ran down the hallway with tears burning her eyes.
"Estrella!" Aaliyah cried, trying to get out of the bed, but the nurse held her down.
"You can't stand up! You can't risk the pregnancy!"
Aaliyah screamed, helpless.
"ESTRELLA!"
But it was too late.
Estrella was gone.
CLIFFHANGER
Estrella disappeared into the hospital corridors…
and no one knew where she went.
Not Thomas.
Not Aaliyah.
Not Damiano.
Not anyone.
And the truth she was about to learn?
It would change everything.